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April 18, 2006
From the "Duh" File: Brands Matter in B2B Markets
I read an article recently on a respected marketing-focused website, which I responded to like a daytime soap opera viewer: “It made me laugh, it made me cry.”
Brands matter in B2B markets. I laugh, because the notion that someone would think otherwise (or that a writer would posit this opinion with such dignity and a straight digital face) is so surprising it’s actually funny.
But I cry because this seems to indicate that there’s still a question about the value of brands. While the author made several reasonable, if not inspiring points, (“Marketplaces are constantly changing.” “Companies have to adapt to stay ahead.”) the core notion that brands need to differentiate rings absolutely true.
We believe that brands have always mattered. No matter what you’re selling (Coke, Cornflakes, combines or computers), there is no inherent difference in the core process of building emotional attachments to your brand. In larger-ticket business purchases, there’s more rational support required to support that emotional buying decision, but if there’s no connection, there’s no sale.
After all, people – particularly in the B2B market – buy from people, not companies. The emotional connections that are often made in a “Blink” (Thanks, Malcolm) can be created, nurtured and grown through your brand.
Yes, brands matter in B2B. Which means that what you stand for, how you’re positioned and what your people say and do, can make or break your business. Just as it has for the last 200 years….
Posted by MCorp. at 18.04.2006 12:42 | Permalink
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